So guys. I first want to say that I'm super jazzed because, as you all know, it's the...

E V E R Y D A YC L E A N I N G

Man it feels sooo good to say that! It seemed like we were going to be stuck in an eternal winter! I even took Charlotte to the park the other day and there were flowers blooming. Alleluia!!But anyway, maybe we should get into the actual topic of this article...CLEANING.

Maybe I'm such a weirdo but I actually enjoy cleaning sometimes. Yep. I'm one of those people. But, just like everyone I don't always have the time to clean things as thoroughly as I'd like to.Today I would like to give you some tips, tricks, hacks, and time savers that I love to use when I need to be super speedy about my cleaning.Here we go!

1. Set a Timer

If you have a lot to do and aren't sure if you'll have time to accomplish even half of it just set a "tidy timer"! Choose a set amount of time like 10 or 15 minutes and just go through the house and tidy up each room. When the timer goes off you STOP. This will force you to tidy up really quickly. This isn't where you'll use Windex and do the dishes and stuff. This is where you put all the toys back in the toy bin, where you put all the boxes of cereal back in the cabinet that were out from breakfast, or where you get the kitchen counters cleared off. This is general tidy time. Do this daily or even twice daily for a tidier home!

2. Use a Cleaning Caddy

Go to the dollar store and get a cheap cleaning caddy like the one pictured to the right. It's a buck and it makes lugging your cleaning supplies around the house so much easier. They have a handle on them so you can shove all your products inside and pick it up (even with a baby on your hip) ;).Plus, if you get a really cute one maybe it'll make you want to clean. Haha maybe? Maybe not.

3. Marked Bins In Each Room

This is a tip that I've implemented in our home and love it. Place a hard or soft collapsible bin in each room (like these ones from Deals). When you are doing your "tidy timer" this is a big help. You can start tidying in one room, and when you find items that belong in other rooms you can gather them all by the door. Then, when you're done in that room take the items and deposit them in the bin/box in the rooms they need to go into. This might be if you're in a super rush. Then, at least your rooms looks pretty tidy and you can go through them at the end of the day and put everything away. Does that sounds really complicated? I promise it isn't. This is so helpful to me - especially with Charlotte's toys being everywhere sometimes. I promise it's helpful :)

4. Daily & Weekly Lists

I use this method and it's a life saver! Basically, just make a list of things that need to be done daily like sweeping and dishes etc. Then, make a list of each day of the week and designate one or two rooms to that day to really deep clean and focus on. (Depending on how many rooms your home has it might be one or two per day). Make sense? I love this method! This really makes it so that you aren't spending all day Windexing and all of that in every single room.

5. Monthly Purge

Set some rules for the things in your home. If it's been hanging in your closet or sitting on your counter or in a drawer and you haven't used it in say...a month or two then toss or donate it. Plain and simple. Do this monthly! Maybe take the last week of the month and as you clean each room that is designated to that day of the week go through and purge as much as you can! I know this is hard with kids because there may constantly be happy meal toys and trinkets from who knows where everywhere all the time but if you know your child won't miss it TOSS IT. Be brutally honest with yourself. If it's in your closet and the tags are still on it from a year ago, try it on again, give it another 2 weeks and if you don't wear it then donate or sell it. (Or give it to me) ;)This will help tremendously in the next few weeks when you're tidying up.

S P R I N GC L E A N I N G

1. Top to Bottom

Use the top to bottom method. Start at the ceiling/ceiling fans/light fixtures and work your way down to the baseboards and the floor so you don't have to go back and reclean everything.

2. Lists Lists Lists

Go through each room of your house and make a (realistic) list of each thing you'd like to deep clean. For example - weekly you may clean your toilet or clean your shower in the bathroom but you might not Windex the windows, organize the closet, or clean out the sink and bathtub drains. Only list things that aren't regularly done.

3. The Forgotten Ones...

Ahhh. The ever-forgotten about washing machine. How many of us actually clean ours? Or the dryer? Mattress? Pillows? What about the dishwasher? Here are some quick, easy ways to get these squeaky clean.

﻿W A S H I N G M A C H I N E

1. Fill the washing machine with hot water.2. Add 1 quart of bleach3. Agitate for 2 minutes4. Let sit 1 hour5. Use regular cycle until completion6. Pull the washer away from the wall and unplug it. Vacuum away any debris/lint from where the washer was. Plug everything back in and voila!

ORRepeat the same steps using vinegar instead of bleach!

D R Y E R

1. Take out the lint trap and wash it in the sink with hot water, vinegar and a wash cloth. Set it aside to dry completely.2. Remove any lint stuck in the dryer where the lint trap is inserted. Use your thin vacuum attachment to vacuum the rest out if need be.3. Wipe any areas you can reach with a water and vinegar mixture.4. Wipe down the inside of the dryer with the hot water and vinegar mixture then repeat with hot water only. No vinegar. Wipe it down with a clean, dry cloth. 5. Pull the dryer away from the wall and unplug it. Vacuum away any dust/lint/random junk from where the dryer was.6. Remove the hose from the call and vacuum any lint from the inside of it. Reattach everything and put it all back where it belongs. Done!

D I S H W A S H E R

Listen, I don't have a dishwasher. Okay? So if you do then CHERISH it! Haha you don't know how lucky you are! ;) I can't say from experience how to clean a dishwasher because...I've never had to. SO I will leave you with this link to go check out Jillee's blog One Good Thing. She has an awesome, in depth post all about how to deep clean your dishwasher.

1. Strip your bedding off the bed and wash all blankets. sheets, pillow cases, bed skirts...etc.2. Take the mattress off the box spring and vacuum the box spring.3. Return the mattress to the bed but make sure it is rotated. In other words - the end where your head went now needs to be the end where your feet went. This is important to do every 6 months to make sure the weight of your body/bodies is evenly distributed so your mattress doesn't get lopsided.4. Sprinkle an entire (small) box of baking soda over the entire mattress. You can also add a few drops of your favorite fresh essential oil to the box, shake it up, then sprinkle it over your mattress if you'd like. Essental oils not only smell amazing but they have antibacterial powers! Win win! Let the mattress, with the baking soda on it, sit for an hour.5. After the hour is up vacuum the mattress with a vacuum attachment. Do this slowly to ensure you get all the baking soda up.

P I L L O W S

1. Remove the pillow case and/or pillow protector2. Set your washer on a gentle, warm water cycle on the largest cycle setting.3. Using the most gentle detergent you have, wash only two pillows at a time to balance out the machine. 4. Once the pillows are done being washed, run them through the rinse cycle once more and spin cycle twice.5. Ring out the excess water.6. If your pillow is foam you have to line dry it. If it is not then you can dry it on a low heat setting. For down or natural materials set your dryer on the air or low setting.7. To fluff up your pillows place two tennis balls that are inside some socks and tied off in the dryer with your pillows.

(In any case, stop the dryer every 30 or so minutes to turn the pillows over so they are evenly dried. Follow these 7 steps every 6-12 months for clean, "healthy" pillows.)

4. Restock﻿

Go through your home and restock any items that you'll need over the next few months for spring and summer. Anything for the pool? Pool noodles or floaties? Anything for kids' sports? Cleats? Sun block? A windshield cover for your car? Also check your AC unit(s) or air system. Is it working properly? Check it so that you aren't boiling hot waiting for the AC guy to come fix it when it gets really hot. Just get it all out of the way now so you aren't rushing out to get last minutes stuff!

5. Closet Revamp

Need more room in your closets? As it gets warmer outside go through your closets and bag up any heavy coats/sweaters/winter gear and general winter clothes. Store them in your attic or basement until the cold of autumn creeps back in in a few months. This will free up so much space. Same with your shoes! You aren't going to need snow boots or high leg boots for summer. Box them up and store them. This actually goes for any non-summer gear. Are your skis leaning up against the wall of your hall closet all the time? Put them in storage for the summer. You won't regret it!

Be sure to also check out some of these cleaning / tips lists that I found and really recommend if you need some more opinions.

Meet Hannah

My name is Hannah and I'm a lucky wife to Tom, and mama bear to two sweet girls - Charlotte & Rosalie. Coffee, lipstick, sunshine, and dresses are some of my favorite things! I love to blog about God, motherhood, "wifeyhood", food, health and much more. ​Check out my vlogs on YouTube as well!

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